We're All Just Runaways
by Jstar-and-Astar
Summary: When the Doctor and Clara visit Joan of Arc, they have no idea that they are about to be plunged into a spiral of paradoxes, lost friends, and old enemies. All of the Doctor's companions from the new series appear. Rated T because Jack's in this story. Nothing appropriate happens when hes around!
1. Under The Gun

"You know, Joan, I could do this forever." The Doctor teased.

"Your eyes are watering," Joan commented dryly.

The Doctor squinched his pale green eyes, struggling not to shut them. Clara laughed lazily and rested her hand on the console of the TARDIS. Abruptly, the Doctor's eyelids flickered.

"Joan of Arc wins!" Clara shrilled and grabbed Joan's hand, raising it up in the air.

Joan stared at her bemusedly. "Is this one of your customs?" Clara snorted and shook her head.

The Doctor sighed loudly and stood, running his hand through his hair. "She cheated." Joan's nostrils flared.

"How could I cheat?"

"I don't know." He marched around the console of the TARDIS.

Clara poked her head around and blinked owlishly. "You're the Doctor; you know everything." The Doctor frowned and straightened his bowtie, which by now Clara had learned that he did when he was either upset or thinking hard.

"There are very, very few things that I do _not_ know, Clara."

"Like how Joan of Arc might've cheated in a staring contest?"

He stared at her a moment. "Maybe."

"Eh-hem." Joan was glancing back and forth between them. "May I be excused? It's time for my morning prayers."

"What?"

Rolling her eyes, Clara grabbed Joan by the arm and steered her towards the door. "You can go." Joan nodded and cast only a furtive glance at the TARDIS before she disappeared into the countryside.

"Didn't she seem strange to you?" Clara turned her head and yelped. The Doctor was standing very close to her, surveying the field with a worried expression.

"How am I supposed to know? She's Joan of Arc. Besides, didn't she hear like, the voice of God or something?"  
The Doctor shook his head slightly. "I don't quite know what it was that she heard. The last time I met her, she was about to die and the voices were really the least of her concerns."

Clara gave him a startled look. "You've met her before?"

He nodded slightly, distractedly. "Of course, I looked different, and mind you, she didn't know who I was."

"Why didn't you save her?"

The Doctor suddenly looked very sad. "It was a fixed point in time, Clara. If I could've changed it, I would have."

"But you have a time machine, would it even . . ." Clara trailed off as she realized the Doctor wasn't even standing there. He was halfway across the field, kneeling in the grass and muttering to himself. Suppressing a snort of exasperation, Clara walked through the grass, eventually stopping when she nearly ran into a statue. Smiling apologetically at it, she continued through a pale, misty graveyard. She shivered. Inexplicably, a creeping sense of fear trailed up her spine. There was something about the graveyard that disturbed her, though she couldn't quite figure it out. Doing her best to ignore it, she continued through the graveyard, frozen grass crunching under her feet. Joan sat beneath a willow tree, in front of a gravestone and a statue. Her head was bent over her clasped hands, and her lips moved, though from this distance Clara couldn't hear what she was saying. Feeling like an interloper, but curious, Clara stepped closer.

" . . . Tell my mother." Joan was saying. "I miss her dearly, Lord. Tell her that I think of her every day." Not wanting to intrude anymore, Clara began to back away but froze when she heard another voice. A response.

"I will on one condition." The voice sent shivers down Clara's spine, though the sound itself was not unpleasant. It was smooth and rich, almost buttery, but that wasn't what made Clara wince. The voice carried an odd echo that seemed to shake the ground. Wind whipped Clara in the face, tearing tears from her eyes. The voice continued. "You must kill the man who calls himself the Doctor." At this, Clara's blood ran cold, and she turned, frantic. Only to run headlong into a statue, one that she was certain hadn't been there. She twisted to see if Joan had heard.

Cold fingers gripped her wrist.

She turned back to see the statue closer, its gray hand clamped vise-like on her arm. The blood pounded in her ears. "Doctor?" She called, no longer caring if Joan heard her. "Doctor!"

The Doctor heard Clara's cry, and he glanced around quickly before sprinting in the direction of her voice. Soon he entered a graveyard, and tripped, cursing, over gravestones. But he stopped dead when he saw Clara.

Clara and the angel.

He wanted to shout, to warn her, but his voice wouldn't work. And when he did speak, it was a whisper, hardly audible. And it wasn't Clara's name that came out of his mouth.

"Amy," he croaked hoarsely. "Don't blink."


	2. Did I Ever Tell You

**Okay, we're doing all the chapter titles as song titles, and the song sort of sums up the chapter. First chapter: Under the Gun-The Killers. **

**This chapter: Did I Ever Tell You-** Nick Lachey

The TARDIS lights glowed. The humming of the TARDIS console echoed throughout the empty hallways. _Beep. _The machine cried. _Beep...beep...beep...beep. Beep. _It cried almost mournfully. _Beepbeepbeepbeep! _The alarms were slaughtered by the sound of the TARDIS' _vworp_ing.

"Larry, did you leave the-Oh my God!" Sally Sparrow dropped her coffee mug. It shattered on the floor, and coffee soaked into the carpet. Slack-jawed, she stared at the TARDIS.

"Doctor?!" At that moment, Larry sprinted into the room, clutching a towel at his waist and reminding Sally of the first time they had met.

At the sight of the TARDIS, Larry gasped and dropped the towel, ignoring Sally's giggle. "He came back?"

Sally had a hop in her step as she walked to the deep blue doors. Almost anxiously, she tapped her knuckles three times. "Doctor?"

The door creaked open, and Sally dithered nervously. Turning back to Larry, who stood stark-naked in the hallway, she beckoned slightly with one hand. "For God's sake Larry, get some clothes on and come with me." Larry blushed crimson, yanked the towel against himself and darted out of the room, leaving Sally with the police box. She poked her head in, checking carefully as if there was a predator in there, and she was the prey. The TARDIS was different from the last time she'd seen it. It was blue now, with almost eerie light. She examined the interior, her curiosity twirling within her, causing her to enter. She observed the console, the gadgets, and the halls. It was curiously Doctor-less. _What was taking Larry so long? _She rushed to the doors, and they mysteriously closed.

And locked.

Panic rose within her and she rattled the doors frantically

"Larry! This is _not_ funny! Let me out!" No answer. Her heart pounded. She spun on her heel, and standing behind her was Larry. Chills ran up and down her back, shooting her into the air.

"Larry!" Sally shrieked, hyperventilating now, she managed to get out, "What. The. _Hell?" _

Larry received a whack on the arm. "_Hey,"_ He looked at her seriously. "What was that for?"

"You scared me!" she croaked.

"_You_ scared _me_! I was looking all over for you!" Larry waved his arms over his head as though that demonstrated looking.

"What do you mean? I was just . . . looking around." Her voice took on an accusatory tone.

"Just looking around? I've been searching for you!"

"No, you were not! You locked me in here to scare me!"

"What are you talking about? I didn't lock you in here! Wait. We're locked in here?" His voice scaled up a bit at the end.

"Yes." Her voice was grim. Frustrated, she rattled the doors again.

"Can't you unlock it?"

"I don't," She grunted in effort of opening the double doors, "think so"

"Lemme try." He gave the door a shove, driving his knee into it.

"No use" Sally sighed and shrunk to the ground.

Larry kept assaulting the door. For hours he attempted to, even just once, budge position of the doors. Sally bordered between amusement at his antics and panic. She wandered around the main room. Her shoelace dragged on the floor, and she slipped on it as she paced back and forth. Her feet went out from under her and she crashed down onto the console, her hand slamming down on a button that (oddly enough) resembled a Rubix cube. The TARDIS gave a frantic, heaving shudder, and it rocked from side to side, sending Larry to the ground and Sally sliding into a wall.

"Eek!" She yelped as her hip gave a bright, sharp flare of pain.

"Sally!"

"Yes?" she squeaked.

"Hold on!" He warned

"I think I got that, Larry!"

A look of defeat crossed his face. Sally knew he wanted to protect her, but she wasn't some sad helpless puppy dog. Gritting her teeth, she clutched the railing that connected to the controls, and managed to drag herself into a standing position as the TARDIS pitched like a ship in a stormy sea.

"Sally?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you, Sally." Larry gasped, with the air of someone trying to tell an unpleasant truth as fast as possible.

"Um..." Sally answered

"Um? That's not what a bloke wants to hear, Sally."

"I love you too." She said, but it sounded like a question.

"What I mean is I _really _love you" he paused. "Like, I want to... marry you."

"Later? We are kind of in a crisis right now, if you couldn't tell"

"This is my crisis!" he said bringing himself on his feet. Then a large bump and a small sway of the TARDIS brought him down.

Sparrow got on all fours and crawled over to him and pressed her lips on his. She pulled away and smiled at him. "Later?"

"Sally," he got her attention. "Do you know what I mean when I say I love you?"

The TARDIS halted from its spinning and turning.

"Larry," she breathed. "No."


	3. Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall

**Song: Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall by Coldplay**

Rose was on the beach again. Her hair blew into her face as she squinted at the darkling sky. Wet sand squished under her bare toes. It was cold, and she shivered slightly, drawing her jacket tighter around herself. The sea was wild, stormy and lashing. It kicked a cold mist up at Rose, wetting her face and dusting her hair. She sighed, a drop of water dribbling down her cheek. If you could see her, you'd think that she was crying. But of course, she hadn't cried in months. Not since she'd given up.

Sighing, Rose continued down the beach, eyeing the horizon. She came to this beach regularly. In the first few months, she had practically set up a tent here, unable to stop herself from thinking that he would come back for her, that she would soon be Rose among the stars again. But he hadn't come, and she'd been left feeling hollow. Her mother had thrown a fit when Rose had moved in with the Doctor's human version, but she had needed to be around him. They had taken to calling him Ten, because what else could they call him? He was the Doctor, just without the TARDIS. He alone had understood that she was both happy and sad at the same time. He had also understood that she needed time to come to grips about everything. And eventually she had.

Behind her, sand shifted, and hands touched the back of her neck. "Rose?" She didn't turn around, stood there with arms crossed, facing the ocean. "Are you alright?" She contemplated her answer. Was she alright? A month ago, she would've said no, but now she wasn't sure.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Ten smiled at her, with one side of his mouth, and shoved his hands in his pockets, facing the sea.

Still staring out at the fathoms, he spoke, lightly, as though he were afraid of her response. "Rose, you're crying." She anxiously wiped a hand at her eyes, feeling dampness. Salt was in her mouth.

"Yeah, I know, I'm sorry." He smiled sadly. They stood for a moment, facing the sea, and in that moment, it began to rain. Rose laughed softly and walked into the water, wading in up to her knees and continuing along the shore, ignoring how her jeans grew sopping wet. Ten trailed after her, walking along the shore beside her. She didn't say anything and neither did he.

"What's that?" She asked as they reached the place where the sand transitioned into dirt.

"What do you mean?" He followed her finger. A shimmering crack, about the length of Rose's arm was emblazoned in the air, and as they watched, it grew wider. Rose moved towards it, entranced.

"Rose," Ten said warningly. But she was already at it, and cautiously, she pressed her fingertip against it. "Rose!" Ten cried and surged after her as she was yanked by her fingertip, forward into the air. And then Ten was left alone on the beach, confused, his mind racing.

Rose was falling. She twisted through colors, dazzling light coruscating around her. It took her a moment to understand where she was. The Vortex. She was in the Vortex. How?

Rose was buffeted by currents of light and color. There was a low, humming noise in her ears, and as she focused, she could make out voices.

" . . . Died, wasted away, poor thing . . ."

" . . . Knife, sunshine . . ."

" . . . Get out of her, Cassandra . . ." Rose stiffened. She would be willing to swear that that was the Doctor. The Doctor! What had the Doctor told her about the Vortex? _Think, Rose! Think! _But she couldn't remember. Around her, images formed. The Doctor, as she'd first met him, opening a door.

" . . . I'm the Doctor . . ."

_Flash. _The Doctor after he regenerated, looking at her seriously.

" . . . Rose, am I ginger?"

_Flash. _His face when he left her, sad and regretful and longing. And then he was gone. And suddenly, she was on the beach again. But she and Ten weren't alone.

"_DOCTOR!" _Rose set off at a dead run towards the TARDIS, slamming into it and flinging open the doors with all her strength. "Doctor!" She flung her arms around the man standing there, not noticing how he froze with surprise, or how the girl behind him blinked, raising her brows. Beaming, she pulled back and scrutinized his features.

"You've regenerated."

The man shook his head. "I've what? Er, no, I'm not the Doctor, I'm a friend."

Embarrassed, Rose glanced at the girl standing behind him, pointed, and raised her brows meaningfully. That couldn't be the Doctor, could it?

"No!" The girl shook her head and waved her hands around anxiously. "I'm Sally, and this is my . . ." The man looked at her and frowned. " . . . Boyfriend? Friend with benefits? Um, anyhow, his name is Larry, and we're friends of the Doctor."

"Ah." Rose glanced around, gawking at the TARDIS' new interior. "Well, where is he?" Sally and Larry exchanged glances.

"We don't exactly know," Sally said slowly, as though she were afraid that if she spoke too fast, Rose would attack her. "It just showed up this morning and we went in and . . ." She made a helpless gesture. "Here we are. And you are. . ?"

"Oh, Rose." She felt a twinge of pain. He hadn't even mentioned her? At Sally's bemused expression, she clarified. "I used to travel with the Doctor. I assume you're his new companions."

Sally smiled slightly. "No. We met him only once, when he was separated from this,"-she patted the TARDIS console- "We helped return it to him, and then he was gone. Poof." She waved her hands as if to illustrate this. "And we never saw him again. Oh! We met Martha, too." Rose nodded.

Sally's gaze drifted over Rose's shoulder, and comprehension dawned in her eyes. "Doctor!" Seizing Ten by the hand, she smiled.

"Oh, no." Ten shook his head. "I'm not, I mean, he's not-"

"He's the Doctor's human clone." Rose stepped further into the TARDIS, leaving Ten to stutter out an explanation. "How did you end up here?"

And as she stepped in, the TARDIS doors slammed. She caught an understanding flash of Ten's face as the doors slipped shut.

"Oh no not again." Sally moaned. She and Larry both ducked under the console, clinging to anything they could find.

"Why-?" Rose began, just as the TARDIS shuddered and made its characteristic _vworp._ Rose was flung off her feet, skidding across the floor.

"Where do you suppose we're going this time?" Sally shouted. She and Larry crouched, bracing themselves. But Rose knew more about the TARDIS than they did. Heaving herself to her feet, she frantically rushed to the console. Feverishly, she pulled a switch. She went into a place where she no longer was conscious of the movement of her body, until the TARDIS stilled.

"I think we're-" _Crash! _A massive shudder rocked the TARDIS, and electrical sparks ran across the console. Rose reached for it, but pulled back with a cry as it burned her hand. And then there was the sensation of falling, and another massive crash. And then all was quiet in the TARDIS. Cautiously, Rose tried the door and found it open. It creaked ominously. Sally and Larry crept out from under the console.

"Where are we?" Sally gasped.

Rose smiled. This was so much like being with the Doctor. She hadn't realized how much she missed this until now. "We'll find out, won't we?" And she flung open the door and stepped into the unknown.


	4. Don't You Remember

**Song: Don't You Remember by Adele**

It took the Doctor some time to snap out of his daze.

"Doctor?!" Clara cried, panic turning her voice high and frantic.

Horror settled in the Doctor's chest, and he cleared his throat and corrected himself. "Clara, if you blink, and even just look away from that angel, you're dead. Understood?"

Clara jerked her wrist in the angel's grip, terror running like a fire through her veins.

"_Understood?" _The Doctor repeated.

'Understood." she said, surveying this creature. She focused on the blank eyes, and saw the universe held in them. She saw herself reflecting back at her, disheveled hair and pupils dilated with terror. She saw why she was here. She saw who she was here with. And, most importantly, she saw what the doctor was seeing. He saw a poor girl, a stupid damsel in distress. She saw that she was not important. Everything flashed in front of her, lights and colors blurring her vision, words echoing in her ears : "Did you know, in 900 years of time and space, I've never met anybody who wasn't important."

Not important.

Not important.

Not important.

_Not important._

"Not important?" The words slipped from her lips like teardrops from aching eyes.

"What?" The Doctor's voice was raw.

"I'm . . . useless."

"Why would you say that?" She couldn't see him, but she could picture the expression on his face.

"We're all so trivial to you, Doctor. All us companions. You leave us one day, and then you never come back."

His voice was soft when he spoke. "Sometimes I don't have a choice."

Her voice was just as quiet. "And sometimes you do." Furious now, she gave her arm a sharp yank. "Now get this thing off of me!" Nodding, the Doctor sprinted towards her and carefully ran his sonic screwdriver up and down her arm.

"Clara, I'm sorry, but I might have to break your wrist." He caught her eye. "Do you think you can do it?"

She gave him a tight-lipped smile. "Doesn't look like I've got a choice, does it?"

"Doctor!" Someone called. Frowning, the Doctor glanced across the field.

"What is it?" Clara gasped, eyes still on the angel. "Who is it?"

"Doctor!" Running up to the Doctor and Clara were a man and a woman. Clara could tell that there was something wrong with them; they seemed to be staggering oddly, as though drunk. As they got closer, she could see them without straining her eyes, and she could tell that yes, they were either drunk or had serious balance problems. The woman, in fact, had what seemed to be a bottle of wine in her hand, and as they continued towards them, she passed it to the man, who took a hearty swig and started laughing.

"Doctor!" Cried the man, embracing the shocked Doctor around the waist. "You're even hotter than she said!"

"Mmm, thank you Jack." Grunted the Doctor, extricating himself from the hug. "Are you drunk?" He asked, inspecting the man-Jack, Clara assumed-up and down. "And River!" He turned to the woman. "I didn't realize you two knew each other."

"Hello sweetie!" River cried, tossing the bottle to Jack, who caught it deftly and drank. "Sweetie, I wish to announce that I'm leaving you for Jack!" She teetered unsteadily, and for a brief moment Clara thought she might fall.

"But don't worry," River said, pressing a finger to the Doctor's lips as he opened his mouth. "I got you a present!" From within the voluminous pockets of her coat, River produced a fez and presented it to the Doctor. But as he reached for it, she seemed to have a change of heart.

"No!" She shrilled, throwing the fez to the ground. "Just kidding!" Almost merrily, she whipped a gun from her jacket and fired, entirely destroying the fez. Jack let out a surprisingly high-pitched giggle, tossed the bottle of wine away, grabbed the Doctor by the bow tie and kissed him passionately. The Doctor sighed loudly, but this resignation quickly turned to bug-eyed horror as Jack peeled off his World War II coat to reveal the fact that he was entirely naked.

"Um, Jack," gasped the poor Doctor.

"Mm?" Muttered Jack.

"I'm sorry to, erm, interrupt you, but I have bigger problems right now."

"Don't worry, Doc, I can fix 'em." Clara stifled a laugh.

"Um, Jack?"

"Call me Captain." The drunken man purred.

"Could you, eh em, remove your hands from my . . ." Clara burst out laughing. " . . . Pants?" River giggled drunkenly.

"Are you sure?" Jack sounded disappointed.

"Yes Jack; I'm quite certain." Jack stepped back, and, catching sight of Clara, smiled.

"Hi, I'm Captain Jack Harkness, and who are you?"

"I'm getting a headache," groaned the Doctor.

"I was only saying hello."

"Girls, girls, you're both pretty." River trilled brightly.

"You _bitch!" _ The Captain cried, spinning towards River.

"Oh! Sweetie, I have news!" River played with the words on her tongue.

"Right now?" The Doctor said plaintively, observing Clara's situation.

"I'm pregnant!" She shrieked, beaming.

"_No,_ you're _not_." The Doctor snapped, killing her joy.

"Yes, I am," she protested.

"No. River, you are _not._"

The two bickered with each other, back and forth, River indignant and the Doctor frustrated and irritable. Meanwhile, Captain Jack leaned against a tree and watched Clara through lazy eyes. Clara tried to stop herself, but her eyes kept flicking downward past his waist. When her eyes made another round up to his face, she saw him smiling seductively, eyes locked onto her chest. She sighed loudly.

"Hello!" She cried, losing her patience. River and the Doctor stopped mid-sentence. "I'm stuck here with this . . . Thing, and no one's bothering to help me!" The Doctor cringed, looking guilty, and River appeared the slightest bit chagrined.

"Ah yes, sorry Clara." Sheepishly, the Doctor slunk over to Clara, turning his eyes to the sky at the sight of the still-naked Captain Jack. Cautiously, he got a grip on Clara's forearm, and Clara grit her teeth in preparation.

"What are you doing?" Joan of Arc had left behind her prayers and was watching the Doctor and Clara with a faintly horrified expression. "Do not harm my angels!"

"Joan, I'm sorry, but they're assassins, and they will kill us all without a second thought, so please come with me."

"No!" Joan cried furiously and shook off the Doctor's attempts to take hold of her arm. "I won't-" Catching sight of something behind the Doctor, she gasped and went pale. River's eyes widened. Jack froze where he was picking up his jacket. The Doctor turned.

There, standing silhouetted against the dying sunlight was one of the Silence, its otherworldly appearance petrifying against the countryside setting.

"River," The Doctor spoke softly, not taking his eyes off of the creature before them. "I'm going to move towards the TARDIS, very slowly. Now you remind me that I have to come back for a reason."

"Yes, sweetie." Thankfully, River sounded serious, and everything was going well.

"Doctor!" Clara shrieked, and forgetting, he turned to her. Too fast.

Something clanged as it slammed into his skull, and he immediately crumpled, catching sight only of a weeping angel with its hand clenched around nothing before he fell unconscious.

The Doctor awoke lying on a hard wooden pew. He sat up gingerly, finding a throbbing ache spreading through his head where whatever-it-was had hit it. River smiled at him sadly. "Hello, sweetie." The Doctor groaned and rubbed his head, the events slowly coming back to him. Something. . . something important. He'd turned, something had hit him, and . . . Clara!

"Clara!" River's expression went bleak and sad, her hands white-knuckled on the edge of the pew.

"She's gone." This time it was not River who spoke, but Jack, who leaned against the wall-thankfully fully clothed-rubbing his head and looking slightly sheepish. At the Doctor's horrified expression, he winced and turned away, revealing a blue bruise spreading across his cheek.

"Where is she? Where am I?" he panicked. He tried to sit up, but was stopped by River.

"We're in a church, Sweetie." River looked a bit guilty as well, although not so much as Jack. She smiled, though it was more like a grimace.

"Sweetie... where have I heard that before? Oh, you! River! It's all coming back..." furious, he threw off River's hand and stood shakily. Frowning, he squinted at Jack. "Who hit you?"

Jack winced again and jerked his chin in River's direction. "She was somewhat displeased when I hit you." He paused. " You know, with the shovel." The Doctor searched his mind, but there was a vast, gaping space where some of his memories should have been.

"I don't remember that."

Jack snorted. "Well, it was a blow to the head. That's probably why you can't remember."

River shot him a look laced with venom.

"Any who," The Doctor clapped both hands, "Let's go ahead and grab the TARDIS,"

River's mouth turned down at the corners. "Ah, sweetie, you see . . ."

"The TARDIS is gone." Jack sounded a bit put off, and he directed a grouchy look at River as he brought a hand to his bruised cheekbone.

"_Gone!?" _The Doctor's voice rose an octave.

River's mouth opened, and what she would have said will never be known, as the TARDIS materialized at that very moment, with its characteristic _vworp _sound.

River's brows rose, Jack let a blurting yell and staggered back, and the Doctor sighed with relief. To his surprise, though, the door swung open. A young blonde woman appeared, squinting around, her brow wrinkling in confusion as she surveyed the area. She was followed by another blond, and a brown-haired young man who also looked perplexed.

"Rose!" Jack cried and rushed forward to embrace the first woman.

"Sally Sparrow!" The Doctor smiled broadly at the second woman. "And Larry Nightingale!"

Something, Jack decided, was not entirely right about this. Rose had returned, and the Doctor hadn't paid her any mind.

"Doctor," he said carefully, still holding Rose, from whose eyes the light had dimmed. "It's Rose."

The Doctor let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm a time traveler, Jack. I'm sure I've explained this to you-"

"Doctor," That was River, who looked a little mystified, and a little like she was trying to figure something out. "You've known Rose for a long time. She used to travel with you."

"River, I don't-"

"Doctor, it's me." Rose had freed herself from the Captain's arms, and was staring at the Doctor with an emotion akin to shock. "I'm back."

Jack frowned. "When we first met, you traveled with her, remember? World War II? The Blitz?"

"I remember the Blitz, you, and World War II, but I don't remember . . . Rosalie was it?"

Inside Rose, something clean and sharp and brittle snapped. Never in her wildest dreams had she anticipated her reunion with the Doctor like this. Not only was he a different person, but he no longer recognized her. Without meaning to, she made a small, hurt sound, and Jack stepped forward to rest his head against her shoulder and loop his fingers through hers.

"You don't remember me?" Her voice was rough, going hoarse and ragged on a sob.

The Doctor stared at her, and the blank confusion in his eyes only made it hurt worse.

"If you don't mind me asking, what-what was our relationship like?"

Rose bit back an aching sob and grit her teeth. "You-" She choked, wiped her eyes. "You loved me." Her voice had gone soft, wrapped in flannel.

The Doctor froze, gaping at her with wide eyes. "I . . . I loved you?" Unable to speak, she nodded. At that, he seemed to crumble, and he slid bonelessly to the pew and buried his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry, Rose." His voice was muffled. "I don't remember loving you."


	5. Drumming Song

**Song: Drumming Song by Florence and The Machine**

The sun was setting.

Amy squinted out at the skyline. She knew she was longing for the fresh feeling of time travel, and the sweet smell of the TARDIS, but, with a pang in her chest, she remembered she couldn't have it. Peering over to Rory, she twisted her hair, and then flicked it behind her. "Rory, do you ever miss him?" He turned slightly.

"Who?" He squinted.

"The Doctor," she teased, as if he didn't know, struggling to hide the raw edge of pain in her voice.

He faced her and placed a thumb and a finger on her chin. "Of course I do, Amy." he stated firmly.

"I miss him. And I miss River." She pulled away with a shake of her head. "She was crazy. My little Melody." Amelia buried her face in her palms, fighting to keep the tears from oozing down her face.

Looking uncomfortable, Rory adjusted his glasses and placed a comforting hand on her back. "I-I um. I love you." He stammered out a futile attempt at reassurance. She raised her eyes to his.

"Oh Rory, I love you too." Unbidden, a tear streamed down her face. The low stone wall that she was sitting on ground into her hip bones and she shifted her weight. Rory moved restlessly in the way he always did this close to the edge of the roof. He hadn't liked roofs since the angels. But it hurt to think about that, and about everything really. Amy kicked one leg absently, letting her boot heel click against the stone. Wincing, Rory reached down and tugged her leg into his lap. She snorted impatiently, biting back a laugh as he visibly relaxed when she moved her legs back to the inside edge of the roof.

A sharp sound rang through the air, and Amy's head jerked up, tear-filled eyes suddenly bright and alert. "The TARDIS?" She whispered, almost to herself, but Rory had heard it too. It was most certainly the distinctive sound of the Doctor's beloved TARDIS. And before Amy knew it, she was running.

The door thudded as she flung it open, but she couldn't hear it beyond the rampant thrumming of her heart,_ crashbangi_ngthrough her veins in a furious drumbeat. She rushed down the stairs, taking them two at a time. Rory's heart was rapid, smashing against his ribs like waves against a cliff. Of course, he did what he'd always done, ever since that first time in Venice. He followed her.

Their feet clanged on the dirty stairs, frantic and constant. There was only a momentary pause, as Rory nearly did a face plant on the third floor landing and Amy laughed, a high fluty note that Rory hadn't heard since before the angels.

At the street, Amy stopped and her head whipped around almost scarily as she frantically scanned the area. The TARDIS sounded again and she was off, hair flying behind her in a tongue of fire. Rory nearly lost sight of her as she ducked around a corner and into a filthy alleyway. Amy frowned and shifted aside a cardboard box so that Rory had enough room to slip in beside her.

But there was already someone there.

A tall, dark-skinned young woman stood there, her black clothes streaked with grime. Her greasy black locks were pulled up with a worn out maroon clamp. She frowned, cocking her head to one side at the sight of them.

"Hello?" She called hesitantly, voice tinged with suspicion.

"Um, hi." Rory said softly. "Who are you?"

"Martha. And you?" She stepped closer.

"Rory, and this is-"

"Amy," interrupted Amelia.

"May I ask why you're here?" Rory did his best to sound casual.

"I'm . . . meeting an old friend. Doctor, doctor Smith." she smiled hesitantly.

"Doctor Smith?" Amy asked, a tad suspiciously.

Martha let out a hard cough to hide her impatience. Why did they care, anyways?

"Martha!" Jack boomed from around the alley's corner. He appeared suddenly, leaving the Ponds to wonder who he was. Martha certainly knew him, as she rushed forward and threw her arms around him. He reciprocated, so enthusiastically that he nearly lifted her off her feet. She let out a yelp of surprise and delight, and kissed him on the cheek just before he set her down.

"Jack! I heard the TARDIS but I didn't think you'd be coming with him." At this, Jack's face darkened.

"Something's come up, Martha." He gently pushed her aside. "But first things first; who in the Seven Systems are they?" His lips curled into an ever-so-flirty grin.

Amy's jaw tightened in the stubborn way that Rory so hated and loved, and she stepped forward to the American man-who, Rory noted, was rather attractive-and jabbed a finger into his chest. "How do you know the Doctor, and who are you?"

The man-Jack-looked a little surprised, and then looked Amy up and down with a slightly appraising look that made Rory instantly dislike him. Following Rory's reaction he grinned, crookedly, and held out his hand.

"I'm Captain Jack Harkness and who are you?"

"Jack," Martha, who was observant, spoke up. "They're married," Jack nodded. "To each other." She finally added

His grin grew wider. "So?" He eyed Rory. "I like both of them." Martha groaned and put her head in her hands, but was unable to stop the smile that spread across her face. She had missed Jack.

"What exactly _has_ come up?" Rory spoke up and instantly regretted it as two pairs of eyes turned to him, one apprehensive and one seductively appraising.

"Um," Jack began, for a moment losing his cool, and Martha spoke before he could regain it.

"Well, I don't know, but are we to assume that you are his newest companions?"

"_Were_ his newest companions." Something pained rose up in the red-haired woman's eyes. "We were." Those two words spoke volumes, conveyed a meaning that only those who had traveled with the Doctor understood.

"Ah," Martha said, recognizing the delicacy of the subject. "Well, I'm Martha Jones and I traveled with him in 2007." She smiled. "We've been to the end of the world together. And this is Jack, who has already introduced himself. He used to travel with the Doctor and a girl named Rose. He currently works for this organization called Torchwood which-" Jack covered her mouth.

"Martha they asked for a small explanation, not the life story." She scrunched up her face at him and pulled his hand away.

"So," Amy said, wondering now if Jack and Martha were romantically involved, and also growing a bit impatient. "Are we going to see the Doctor?"

"Yes, Mother," came a familiar voice, and Amy's face broke into a smile. River stepped into the alleyway, her usual smile missing. At this Jack's jaw fell.

"Mother?" He sputtered. River gave him an evil eye. "How? They're... people!"

"Yes I realized," said Amy sourly. "It's a long and very complicated story involving the Time Vortex, my wedding night," -Rory coughed- "The Battle of Demon's Run, time travel, and Hitler." Jack looked even more confused. He tossed it all behind him as he made his way to the TARDIS.  
"Follow along, Ponds."

Amy grinned a large ear to ear smile.

"And Martha!" commented Martha.

Jack held the door open politely, seeing everyone safely into the TARDIS before shutting the door. Jack slapped Rory's butt firmly, giving Rory's face a shade of red that rivaled that of River's lipstick. Giggling quietly Jack walked in and studied every person-and River, who technically was not a person.

"Rose!" Martha gasped. A slim blonde woman appeared from around the console, an aching sadness in her eyes. She smiled slightly when she saw Martha, but her expression when she glanced at the Ponds was blank.

"And they are?"

"Amy and Rory Pond," said a familiar voice, and all turned to see the Doctor appear, a sad and winsome smile on his face. Amy let out a happy cry and ran at him, throwing her arms around his neck. He gripped her tightly, and when she pulled away there was a wet spot, a tear, on the collar of her jacket. Whose it was, she did not know. Even Rory allowed himself to be drawn into an embrace by the Doctor, who affectionately tousled his hair (this Rory objected to) and released him, still wearing that quizzical, innocent smile.

"Doctor?" Martha sounded very doubtful. This man in the suspenders and the bow tie-this couldn't be the Doctor?

"Yes? Who are you?"

"Martha." She almost choked on her words. The room got very quiet, almost like there was nothing there to make a noise.

In a way, there wasn't. Nobody wanted to tell Martha the heartbreaking news.

"Jack? What's wrong with him?" she managed to get out, although her throat felt full of nails.

Jack's expression was only a fraction less sad than the saddest she had seen him. "The Doctor is missing some of his memories, Martha." He swallowed, raspingly. "He doesn't remember you, or Rose, I sort of... Hit him over the head."  
Amy's eyes went wide, and then narrowed. "What else don't you remember? Do you remember . . . the Daleks?"

He shot her a cross look. "Of course I remember the Daleks; they've been my enemies since the beginning of time!" His shout brought in Larry and Sally, who looked rather confused at the situation before them.

"Do you remember Vincent? Liz Ten? Craig?"

"Craig, yes . . . Vincent, as in Vincent Clapp? He was my old friend!"

Amy made a strangled sound. "No, Vincent Van Gogh! The painter? We met him, and he painted a picture of the TARDIS . . ." She grimaced at the look on his face. " . . . Exploding."

"Interesting." he murmured sarcastically.

Amy and Rory exchanged looks. "Doctor, do you remember Idris?"

"Um... doesn't ring a bell, sorry."

"Not even one? How about sexy? Remember that?" questioned Amelia

Jack laughed softly, choking off the sound as Amy shot him a look imbibed with enough venom to kill small rodents. "Sexy? Because I think I'm the sexiest person here . . ." He trailed off at the icy silence that met his words. "It was a joke!" Silence. "Designed to relieve tension." More silence. "No?"

River shook her head. "Not now, Jack." River was serious, and developing a hangover from her's and Jack's 'party' earlier that night.

The Doctor shook his head. "Alright, so I can't remember you two," -he indicated Martha and Rose- "I can't remember Vincent van Gogh or someone named Idris. Why them? Why not the rest of you?"

"What about the Master?" That was Martha. Rory chimed in with a cough. Rose frowned, Sally Sparrow looked confused, and Amy was perplexed, but Jack had a grim look on his face and River's expression matched it.

The Doctor's face twisted. "Yes, I remember Koschei." His voice was very soft, almost fond as he said it, and anxiously, his fingertips tapped out an odd, four-beat rhythm on the console, a half-forgotten memory.

Rory's eyes narrowed, and he examined the thumping of his fingers. "Wha-what's that?" Rory croaked. His hand went to his temples. "It's . . . giving me a headache. Doctor, stop it!" The last word was a scream, and the Doctor frowned, gazing in concern at Rory, who had his hand pressed against the sides of his head.

"I have stopped," he said softly.

Jack and the Doctor exchanged horrified looks and they both rushed towards Rory, who backed away with an almost animal howl and went to his knees.

"Doctor, it can't be... he's not! It's impossible!" Martha was panicking, clutching on to something stable on the console to steady her.

"Rory, listen to me, okay?" The Doctor extended a steadying hand towards the man.

"You don't understand!" Rory roared (AN: this was not on purpose.). "It's in my head! It's hurting me!"

"Honey, calm down." Amelia hushed the room.

"_Amelia Pond._" spoke her husband sharply, "Be quiet! You're only making it worse!" Both the Doctor and Amy flinched. Neither had heard Rory speak like this to his wife.

"He's a Time Lord." Jack stated grimly, making the words like a curse.

"But how?" Martha exclaimed, knuckles whitening on the console.

"I know." River's voice was quiet. "The Master."

The control room broke into chaos. Martha and Jack both started shouting, Rose joined in, the Doctor was gesturing and yelling, Rory was crying out, Sally and Larry were standing there, confused, and Amy was expressing her fury to Rory.

A gunshot rang out, startlingly loud in the silence. "Everybody quiet!" River's eyes flashed as she slid the gun into the holster at her hip. Everyone, even Rory, shut up.

"Now, calm down." Her gaze slid around the room. "We all need to get our stories together and come up with a logical explanation."

"The drums," Rory said softly. "The never-ending drumbeat. Make it stop!"

The Doctor froze, hands trembling. Rory, in that moment, reminded him of the master so much that it hurt. And it hurt even more, because he had loved the Master, and lost him. Just like all the others.

"He's the Master," croaked Martha

"No, no it's not possible." The Doctor replied coldly, but Martha let him off the hook for it because his voice shook at the end of the sentence.

"Then what is he?" That was Rose, who looked a little confused. "I know who the Master is; Ten explained it to me, but how could _he _be the Master?" She looked suspiciously at Rory, who was still curled in a fetal position on the floor. "Look, I don't know you, but the Doctor clearly trusts you, and that's good enough for me." She shot the Doctor a look, but immediately felt a jolt of pain as he returned her glance with a blank look. Of course, he had no reason to trust her. He didn't know her.

"Ten?"

Inexplicably, Rose blushed. "The human Doctor, the one who came with me. We call him Ten."

The Doctor frowned. "The human . . . the what?"

Rose's face shut down. "Never mind." She turned away, shoulders set in the way that one braces oneself to receive bad news.

"Or maybe he's just a Time Lord, with no relation to the Master." said river in Rory's defense.

"Related" the Doctor repeated. "Ah, yes! He must have been something of a brother to him." His brow knitted, and he fiddled absently with his bow tie.

"Doctor, I don't know." said Amy, grabbing his arm as if she was worried.

"Hold on, if River is a Time Lord, and this is her Father..." Jack trailed off, waiting for somebody else to interrupt. "Then maybe it was Rory's Time Lord blood that made Mrs. Song, over here, a Time Lord.

"But Rory's human!" That was the Doctor, hands anxiously adjusting his bow tie and tugging at his hair. "He . . . Amy . . . It's not possible!" He froze suddenly. "Amy, does Rory have a pocket watch by any chance?"

Amy's face contorted, and she grabbed the Doctor by the collar, slamming him into the wall. _"Why is that important?!" _The Doctor winced, tugging slightly at her wrists.

"Amy, look, I don't know you, but if you just let the Doctor explain . . ." Amy whirled on Jack, her face twisted with anger.

"That is my husband! He spent two thousand years outside of a box for me, and I love him! Now you explain this to me or I swear to God, I will hurt you." Her voice was low and deadly.

"Mother," River's voice was gentle. "Please, just let the Doctor explain." She reached over to touch Amy's hand. "Mother, please."

Amy stared, jaw working, and then pulled away from River, crossing her arms and glaring at the Doctor. _"Talk." _

"Well, the Master was an evil Time Lord who tried to destroy the world-we stopped him-and the pocket watch is a sort of thing to turn a Time Lord into a human." The Doctor had just opened his mouth, and he frowned at Jack.

"That wasn't all he was," The Doctor whispered. "He and I were friends on Gallifrey." His voice broke halfway through, and Amy's gaze softened the slightest bit. "We . . . I cared very much about him, and now he's gone." Everyone had gone quiet, recognizing the sorrow in the Doctor's voice. He rubbed a hand over his face and sighed.

"Will somebody _please_ tell me what this noise is?!" Rory cried out, letting his fingers drown in his hair.

"Rory, shut up," instructed the 'bowtie' man.

As if his words were a switch, the entire room except Sparrow and Nightingale broke into heated arguments.

"M-my father. My father is.."

"Brian." insisted the doctor.

"_No!_" shouted Rory. "He's not, not by blood. It's him, it's Koschei." The Doctor flinched when he heard the name.

"Rory, listen. The drumming is getting to you. Don't listen to River or Martha; they don't know what they're saying. You are not his son." He seemed to be trying to convince himself as much as Rory.

"I am," whimpered Rory, pressing his knuckles against his forehead.

The Doctor's hands had started to shake, and he gripped the edge of the console hard enough to push the blood from his fingers.

"Sweetie, calm down," River instructed, strolling towards him.

"It explains everything. he wasn't even surprised by the . . .TAMIS . . ." the doctor stammered for the right word.

"TARDIS" corrected Rose gently, though her voice was colored with shock.

"What?" He faced her. .

"Erm . . . it's Time and Relative Dimension in Space." It was getting on Rose's nerves, the Doctor knowing nothing. And, she realized, Jack had said that the Doctor knew what the TARDIS was before she arrived. That would mean that the memory loss was getting worse. Sadness gripped her, startling and sharp. Not only did not remember her, but he was hardly the Doctor anymore, without his knowledge of time and space.

"Not the point. Rory, _River_ is a Time Lord."

"Doctor that was not Rory's fault!" Amy cried.

"How do you know?"

All eyes were on Rory, blue eyes, green eyes, brown eyes. There was no sound but Rory's fingers tapping the four beat knock.

The Doctor pondered on the thought, then repeated the obvious conclusion. "Your father, Rory, is Koschei."

Salty tears dashed down his cheeks. _Tha-tha-tha-thump._ Rory's heart throbbed achingly. Everyone's expressions varied, from shock to fear to horror. Amy had her hands clenched around her head. Her face was white and set.

"Doctor," Rory moaned.

"Yes?"

"Will the drums stop?" Rory whispered.

"I don't know." For the first time in any of their memories (except River's), the Doctor sounded uncertain. "I really don't know." There was a long pause, and the silence stretched on and on. "We need to find . . ." The Doctor's face was screwed up in concentration. "Cara, was it?"

A strangled sound tore from Rose's throat and she turned and fled, footsteps ringing on the smooth floor before she disappeared down the corridor. Jack chased after her.

_Even now, the center is crumbling, _Martha thought, watching Amy break down next to her husband, the Doctor standing there with his face written in lines of grief.

_Soon there will be nothing left. _


End file.
